


Unlikely Places

by perrstein, QuickYoke



Series: Prohibition AU [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Prohibition, Worldbuilding, how Steven and Lapis became friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 01:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8381752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perrstein/pseuds/perrstein, https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickYoke/pseuds/QuickYoke
Summary: It's 1921 and Lapis still doesn't know how to make friends. Set a year before the events of "Like Something Rare"





	

**Author's Note:**

> written by perrstein with edits by quickyoke

 

The Georgia heat relentlessly bore down on the outskirts of Savannah. Even the nearby ocean waves did nothing to cool the air. Lapis could feel the sweat collecting along the collar of her flight suit as she leaned against her plane for the slight hint of respite from the sun, more than ready to pack up and head North again. Already, she longed for the cooler air of higher altitudes, to be away from the crowd of people milling around after the aerial show she grudgingly took part in. Doing shows with other pilots was a far cry from how she would normally go about getting money, but after spending the night running from Hampton, she needed the quick buck to make up for what she had left behind. Whatever her portion of the formation’s show that day would be enough to let her multiply it later that night, without ever dipping into her savings.  And that's what mattered.

Despite the miserable heat, she hummed contently. Nothing yet had come close to the adrenaline rush of flying for her life; she couldn’t remember feeling that whole in years. After living so long under the thumb of others, the repetition of business drivel, it wasn't much of a surprise that she chased her thrills where she could. Pushing her sweat-damp hair back, it took a moment for her to realize she was being approached by a kid.

Glancing him over, it was already apparent that something about him was off compared to most of the other folks in that field, even if he was all kinds of cute in his denim shorts and loose shirt. “If you’re hoping for a free ride, I can’t afford to take her up without making money from it myself.” Lapis knew she was coming off as surly and argumentative, but that had more to do with the sweat beginning to pool inside of her pilot’s gloves than how she currently felt about interacting with others.

“Oh, my dad says that asking something for nothing when I can give even a little bit is mean!” His smile was lopsided and warm as he beamed up at her, his loose ebony curls falling forward on his sun-kissed skin. Lapis felt something inside of her soften at his earnest enthusiasm. “My name’s Steven! What’s yours?”

“My….name is Lapis.” She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of why she gave a total stranger her real name. Gaze flitting over to where the rest of the crowd had slowly congregated around the five more social pilots, she looked back to Steven as he was clearly bouncing in barely contained excitement. “Right then, Steven,” Lapis said, wondering when she became the kind of person who entertained children. “What do you want to do?”

Her eyes widened when he pulled a few crumpled notes from his pocket and stuffed fifteen dollars into her hands. Not even bothering to smooth the bills out, she folded them away and helped him into the plane. He could have as many flights over the beach as he wanted for that kind of money. Up in the air over the roar of the propeller, she could hear his whoop of excitement and a grin pulled at her mouth as she pulled the aircraft into a tight turn just to make his stomach drop.

 _It was for the cash_ , she told herself, firmly ignoring the warm syrupy feeling in her stomach. _That was all._

 

* * *

 

The hushed quiet after a shouted accusation will always remain one of the most dangerous atmospheres society has to offer. Lapis went still as a slow building storm, the promise of violent retribution written in the tense lines of her body. Murmurs slowly began to fill the crowded gin mill’s back room as plumes of smoke drifted towards the ceiling, and her eyes swept over the gathered crowd as her satin gloved hand tensed around her glass of hooch. Internally, she cursed her choice of attire, feeling more exposed in the dress she had picked up in town before renting a room to clean up in than she would have felt in one of the dresses from her lost wardrobe.

“She’s definitely cheated! There’s no way she could have won this game!” A player shouted, face going red as he slammed his fist on the card table. “I _saw_ her hand earlier, there’s _no way_ she could have won this game! I’m tellin’ ya this is total bunk, this gold digging sheba ain’t getting _my_ money!”

Uproar was spreading like wildfire through the room, and Lapis coolly met his glare while quickly calculating how to best extract herself before things took a turn for the worst. Before she could make a decision on how to best buy herself time to scram, a voice cut through the din.

“Did you just admit to cheating?” Eyes widening, Lapis moved for what felt like the first time in an eternity to turn her head and see Steven in the last place she would have expected him to be, casually walking into the fray. He looked real swanky in his suit, and carried an air about him that felt as carefree as it did in the air field while also giving Lapis the heebie-jeebies. He looked over to the shadows and got a nod from one of the goons leaning against the wall that Lapis had spotted earlier. “I _did_ hear that right, you just admitted to cheating.” His voice carried effortlessly, as if he was walking across a stage he had been born to, the soft hurt edging into it noticed by everyone in the room.

True silence fell upon the crowd, everyone seemed uncomfortably aware of something that Lapis was in the dark on. This kiddo she had met and had impulsively decided to call a friend earlier in the day had effortlessly caused a room to fall into silence, if the muted shuffling and panicked looks being traded was anything to go by. She watched the room with interest as her accuser started desperately fumbling his words, reeling back from the dealer’s table as if it had burned him. “I didn’t! I...I was just -- you’re making me out to be the fall guy!” he practically pleaded as he wheeled frantically around in search for support from others in the room.

He found none, as people stepped back from him, and the flapper who had been in his lap earlier slipped back into the crowd. Steven simply frowned at him, seeming almost unaware of how everyone in the room was waiting with baited breath to see what he would say next. “You definitely said you had cheated, that you had seen her cards. Cheating of any kind isn’t allowed in my speakeasies, and that’s well known.” Whispers were heard in the crowd, and Lapis felt a shiver climb up her back at the realization of who she had spent the afternoon with.

Stories floated up and down the coast about a young Steven Q, and how he handled his mother’s empire, but she never would’ve thought that _this_ Steven was the one the gossips were breaking their jaws over just trying to keep up with his exploits.

Two men stepped forward, grabbing her accuser around each arm and dragged him out of the room, his muted protests only half-hearted as he seemed to accept what was coming to him. Steven came closer, stepping up to the table and turned to the dealer, caught between business and his trademark sunny demeanor. “Gather her winnings so she can collect them when I’m done talking with her, I want to make sure the rest of her time here is to her liking.” The dealer nodded, earning one of Steven’s bright smiles.

He turned to Lapis with all the childish enthusiasm he had that afternoon, and she wondered at his effortless charm as she began to relax. “Do you want to join me up front for a bit? I can answer some of your questions that way!” She was caught off guard by her reflexive nodding as she abandoned her glass on the table, but didn’t miss how genuine happiness flashed across his face before he turned to lead her out of the agitated room.

Lapis followed him, careful to take note of the path they followed through the back house sections and all of the potential exits along the way. A hush followed their path, patrons and workers alike ducking their heads in respect before carrying on with their tasks. Steven stopped and winked at her before opening a side door, and the two of them were weaving through a diner kitchen. He had a kind word and bright smile for everyone there, a few workers stopped to ruffle his hair before pointing to an empty booth in the far corner.

Sliding into the booth beside him, Lapis remained perched on the edge of the leather seat, her back too straight, dark eyes carefully watching a waiter approach. She didn’t relax even when the waiter only set another drink on the table before her -- mint julep, the same she’d had clutched in her hand at the gambling table.

Steven on the other hand beamed at the waiter when a cherry flavoured soda was set before him. “Thanks! Could you see that we’re not disturbed?”

And with a nod, the waiter departed, leaving the two of them alone. Somehow that didn’t put Lapis any more at ease. Tentative, she sipped at her julep and said over the rim of the frost-misted glass, “You’re the real McCoy, aren’t you?”

His smile seemed to fade somewhat, though the pleasantness never left his face. “I don’t know about that. My mom was the real deal. I’m just - _me.”_ He shrugged and pulled his soda closer, leaning down to slurp at the red straw rather than actually pick up the drink. “I’m glad I met you though! It’s nice having friends in different places, and Connie can’t travel all the time like I do.”

“There’s certainly no shortage of travel in my life,” Lapis muttered half to herself. She took another sip before setting the drink back down and checking that her gloves had escaped any condensation sweating on the glass. Realising that Steven was watching her curiously -- eyes wide in his round boyish face -- Lapis folded her hands in her lap beneath the table. “How old are you, anyway?”

He blinked innocently up at her and replied, “Thirteen.”

Lapis stared at him. Then she grabbed her drink and took a long draught, almost choking on a leaf of crushed mint. Coughing into the crook of her arm, she vaguely felt Steven patting her on the back. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah,” she croaked, eyes watering. Clearing her throat, Lapis straightened and looked over at him. His expression was bright with concern. “I can’t believe I was pulled out of the fire by a kid. But….thank you.” Her own sincerity took her by surprise, and she swirled the dregs of her drink in the glass, half-melted ice clinking in her grasp.

Steven simply smiled widely up at her, giving her one last pat on the back. “What else are friends for?”

In this secluded corner, the sounds of the club wafted dim and muted. Lapis could still recall at least three different exits she could rush to at a moment’s notice should any part of the scenario turn south, and yet with Steven smiling at her side every escape route suddenly seemed entirely unnecessary. She returned his smile with one of her own, sad yet relieved. “I wouldn’t know, honestly.”


End file.
